Dane DeValcourt

Cisco has refreshed / updated the CCIE voice lab.  Listed below is the new equipment and software it will cover.

 

Lab Equipment:

• Cisco MCS-7845 Media Convergence Servers
• Cisco 3825 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR)
• Cisco 2821 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR)
• ISR Modules and Interface Cards

             VWIC2-1MFT-T1/E1 
             PVDM2 
             HWIC-4ESW-POE 
             NME-CUE

• Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches
• IP Phones and Soft Clients

Software Versions

Any major software release which has been generally available for six months is eligible for testing in the CCIE Voice Lab Exam. 

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager 7.0
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express 7.0
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Express 7.0
• Cisco Unified Presence 7.0
• Cisco Unity Connection 7.0
• All routers use IOS version 12.4T Train.
• Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches uses 12.2 Main Train

Network Interfaces

• Fast Ethernet
• Frame Relay

Telephony Interfaces

• T1
• E1

 

Source:  Cisco Learning Network

Some of the major changes are:

1) Remove analog devices (such as VG248, ATA)
2) Remove CatOS (Catalyst 65xx)
3) Replace CCM with CUCM 7 (Linux Appliance)
4) Replace Unity with Unity Connection 7 (Linux Appliance)
5) Add CUPS 7 (Linux Appliance)
6) Add SIP phones

Basic topology:

 

Source:  http://htluo.blogspot.com

QSIG is a peer-to-peer signaling system used in corporate voice networking.  Internationally, QSIG is known as Private Signaling System No. 1 (PSS1).  This open standard is based on the ITU-T Q.9XX series of recommendations for basic service and supplementary services.  Therefore, as well as providing inter-PBX communications, QSIG is compatible with public and private ISDN.

QSIG also has one important mechanism known as Generic Functional Procedures (QSIG GF).  This mechanism provides a standard method for transporting features transparently across a network.

Source:  Voice over IP Fundamentals (Second Edition) – Cisco Press

Wiki – QSIG

Light travels through a vacuum at a speed of 186,000 miles per second and electrons travel through copper or fiber at approximately 125,000 miles per second.  A fiber network stretching halfway around the world (13,000 miles) induces a one-way delay of about 70 ms.  Although this delay is almost imperceptible to the human ear, propagation delays in conjunction with handling delays can cause noticeable speech degradation.

Source:  Voice over IP Fundamentals (Second Edition) – Cisco Press

Wiki – Propagation Delay